East End girl

the long version

Sally Worboyes is loved and renowned for her gritty, enthralling sagas of East London life. But the story of her own family life in post-war Stepney is no less engrossing and dramatic. Here for the first time is Sally's account of her childhood and her family's history - the two-up, two-down with the outside lavatory and no hot water where her parents raised six children, carol-singing for the Kray twins at Christmas, the story of her grandfather's tragic early death. Full of memories both warm and less welcome, this autobiography paints a vivid picture of Sally's childhood, her days spent 'raking' the East End streets or crowding into her family's small parlour rooms for hard-earned Saturday tea, the tribulations of being part of a poor family, and the deep love she felt and still feels for her childhood surroundings. Warm, affectionate yet clear-eyed, this is probably Sally's most gripping saga yet - and it is all true.